Iran reiterates commitment to work with Zimbabwe

Herald Reporter
Iran has reiterated its commitment to work with Zimbabwe for mutual development.
Iranian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Maho-mmed Pournajaf said this in Harare yesterday at a reception to mark the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
The Islamic revolution, led by the Imam Khomeini Ayatollah, peacefully overthrew the despotic American-backed regime of Pahlavi Shah and substituted his Western-oriented rule with the popular state of today.
“The Islamic Revolution brought self-determination, freedom and prosperity that we share with Zimbabwe, which we regard as a friendly country,” said Ambassador Pournajaf.
“We are ready to walk with Zimbabwe hand-in-hand.”
Ambassador Pournajaf described President Mugabe as a “great man”.
Guest of honour, Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Joey Bimha thanked the Iranian envoy for continuing to strengthen the cordial relations between Harare and Tehran, which date back to the days of the liberation struggle.
“I would like to thank you for having done a lot in a short time in strengthening the relations between Zimbabwe and Iran,” he said.
Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa recalled how Iran assisted Zimbabwe during the Second Chimurenga.
Minister Mnangagwa visited Iran with the late Vice President and national hero Cde Simon Muzenda soon after the 1979 revolution.
“Since independence we have maintained good relations with Iran and Iran has defended Zimbabwe at international fora, castigating illegal Western sanctions and that is important for Zimbabwe’s leadership, especially from Zanu-PF, to attend these celebrations,” he said.
Minister Mnangagwa also called for an immediate lifting of the Western embargo on Zimbabwe.
He said it was unacceptable that one of Zanu-PF’s partners in the inclusive Government — MDC-T — had shied away from its Global Political Agreement responsibility to work for an end to the sanctions that they called for.
Since independence, Zimbabwe-Iran ties have grown from strength to strength.
Tehran has made major investments in Zimbabwe’s agriculture and technology sectors    and has established a tractor assembly plant in Harare.
The two have a Joint Permanent Commission, established in 1991 and this has facilitated improvement in relations on the diplomatic, scientific and economic fronts.
Last year, Iranian companies were the largest foreign contingent at the Harare Agriculture Show and the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad officially opened ZITF.
He also officially launched the tractor assembly plant.